Author: Logan Effertz

LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE BOYS: Graphic Tee Time

Graphic tees are not just an average T-shirt. These shirts provide their consumers with more than just a color or pattern—they provide a statement.  The statement can either be serious or comical depending on what kind of stance the consumer wants to take! Either way these shirts are a great way to receive a second glance from your peers or they can even be a conversation starter.

The Fashionisto above decided to go with a sport-specific graphic T-shirt. As you can see, he is wearing a light blue T-shirt that says,“High Hops, Low Cars.” He accompanies this graphic T-shirt with baggy cargo shorts and a pair of black and blue vans. Just by glancing at this Fashionisto’s T-shirt I knew that he had some interest involving BMX. By wearing this graphic T-shirt, the Fashionisto lets his peers know a little something about him as a person. It may sound cheesy, but when you really think about it graphic shirts are worn to let strangers know a little bit about you before even speaking to you. The Fashionisto did a great job by matching his shoes with his shirt and by wearing a neutral color in-between the two. The neutral color keeps the two matching items separated so the outfit doesn’t look too matchy. Now, there is nothing wrong with matching—but when everything seems to match perfectly, it can become boring and outdated. So to all of the Fashionistos and Fashionistas out there, grab a graphic T-shirt off the rack and let your peers get to know you with just a glance!

Hint: When looking for the perfect graphic T-shirt to wear this summer, make sure you know what you are getting yourself into! Do not wear something controversial if you are not ready for the heat that may be coming your way. Other than that, feel free to express yourself and let others see your beautiful personality by wearing a graphic tee!

LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE BOYS: A Color Surprise

We all enjoy a nice pop of color when dressing for the summertime because it brings personality to our outfits. A pop of color usually brings a young and lively quality to our less exciting outfits. This trend is huge during the summertime. I have seen many Fashionistos rocking this trend and they look great doing it. Basically, a pop of color livens outfits up!

This Fashionisto wore a black and gray striped tank top with light, bright blue shorts and a pair of black and gray vans. His shorts, bright blue, make his colorless outfit young and vibrant instead of looking dull. As you can see the Fashionisto really wanted this light, bright blue color to stand out, so he put it between two colorless clothing items. This is a really great trick to remember when you are trying to accomplish this color-pop technique! The tank top that the Fashionisto wore was another step up because he chose to go with a pattern rather than just a plain color. This pattern makes his outfit more funky and hip because he not only has bright colored shorts on, but now he also paired them with a very trendy pattern. These trendy techniques catch people’s attention.

Hint: When trying to find the perfect outfit to add a pop of color to, remember not to over think it. Find an outfit that you find to be semi-boring and use that outfit as practice! When you are ready you can go out and buy some new pieces of clothing to go with your pop of color, or you can simply find old clothing in your closet that you would like to re-use. The choice is yours—have fun with it!

LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE BOYS: Red Hot Rebel

When we think of a rebel, we think of someone going against the ordinary. When we think of red, we think of a color standing out from the rest. Rebellion and the color red seem to flow quite nicely together. The style that seems to include both red-hot colors and rebellion would have to be punk rock! Although most may believe this style would not be able to survive this summer’s heat, there are actually ways this style can!

As soon as I saw this Fashionisto, I knew he had a punk rock style! He wore a bright red tank top with black skinny jeans and all black high-top Converse. He stuck with his style even in the heat! He beat the heat by replacing the huge sweltering studded jacket that he might usually have on with a nice breezy tank top. This tank top’s color was the perfect one to choose because red stands out and tends to be a very masculine color due to its high intensity. Let’s just say it was a match made in punk rock heaven! It was great how he paired this red tank top with all black—it helped the tank top stand out where it would grab his audience’s attention (his audience being everyone around him). Even though tank tops seem to be the complete opposite of what any punk rocker would wear, it actually kept his outfit looking rugged and rebellious. Now with his new breezy tank top the Fashionisto can keep rocking his style no matter what the weather is like outside!

Hint: Even if punk rock isn’t your style, you can still use the power of a breezy tank top to help keep you cool this summer!

LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE BOYS: Put a Little Prep in Your Step!

When first glancing at the back of a Guy Harvey T-shirt, you may not assume this shirt would be placed on someone with a preppy style, but in some cases you could be wrong—I was! I was walking to class when I came across today’s Fashionisto. I only saw him from the front and considered him to be quite preppy and classic looking. I had no idea that he was wearing a Guy Harvey T-shirt until I asked him to turn around. Let’s just say it definitely opened my eyes!

This Fashionisto wore a light yellow Guy Harvey T-shirt with a pair of light blue colored shorts. I love the color choices this Fashionisto made! The pastels are perfect colors for the summer because they are light and airy which is everything anyone would want in this heat. Another quality I loved about this Fashionisto’s attire was his Guy Harvey T-shirt! I think this brand is great for guys in the summer because they have a great variety of pastel colored T-shirts. Guy Harvey can also be great for guys because of the huge, manly design on the back. So now Fashionistos can rock the pastel colors with the Fashionistas but can still maintain their masculinity. In other words, Guy Harvey is a great way for Fashionistos to look preppy and rugged all at the same time.

Hint: If you want to rock this preppy-rugged style, I suggest you go on Guy Harvey’s website and find some wonderful pastel colored T-shirts to wear in this summer’s heat.

LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE BOYS: Stars and Stripes

Patriotic clothing is making its way into everyone’s closets this summer and they aren’t being worn just for the holidays. Fashionistas are strutting down the streets with high-waisted shorts that are decorated with their countries flag while Fashionistos tend to stick with the typical patriotic T-shirts. I have noticed that Fashionistos usually stay within the lines when it comes to patriotic items. Let’s just say we don’t see them strutting around the streets with patriotic pants on!

I was completely enthused when I saw this Fashionisto walking to class. Why, you may ask? He took a chance and unlike others, he wore a thick American flag headband. I had never seen a male rock a headband like that (disregarding glam rock) and I have to say it was an exciting experience—I love when people take chances and wear what they want to wear! He rocked this headband with a black and white striped tank, accompanied by some cut-off black shorts and gray Logan Effertzans. Since this Fashionisto wore black and white it really made the headband pop! Plus, if he would have worn other strong colors it may have made the outfit look too busy. On a lighter note, this Fashionisto’s look is a must for summer because it is fun and unexpected!

Hint: When deciding which patriotic item to add to your outfit, make sure to take a risk. Standing out is a wonderful gift and is something everyone should embrace. So, next time you go shopping, don’t just grab the first patriotic graphic T-shirt you see. Keep looking and find something unexpected. If you follow these simple steps you will definitely be making heads turn all summer long!

LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE BOYS: Frattastic

It’s that time of the year again—pledges are back! Freshmen are putting their best frat attire forward for rush week. The bright colored T-shirts, the khaki shorts and the Sperry Top-Siders are all ingredients needed to pull off this frattastic look. Even though most students walking around campus probably see this look frequently, there are ways these boys can spice it up and make it unique.

The Fashionisto featured this week knew how to stand out from the other pledges. By adding an unexpected pair of shoes he makes his outfit matchless. When you first take a glance at these shoes, you may not assume that these are Sperry Top-Siders because they are unlike the original styles you typically see. However, they are Sperry Top-Siders and if you look closely they have unusual touches that catch your eye! Instead of shoe laces, these shoes just have two leather straps that are tightened with a metal fastener. I do not know about you, but I have never seen Sperry Top-Siders look so hip and vintage. He complements these shoes with a bright yellow T-shirt and khaki shorts. The Fashionisto keeps the classic frat look but accomplishes a style all his own.

Hint: When searching for the perfect eye-catching item, do not limit yourself to only accessories. You can spice up your frat look by adding shorts or T-shirts with conversational prints. Also, you do not have to limit your shoe style to just Sperry Top-Siders; take a risk and try other brands and styles that would be unexpected. Hopefully with all of this advice, you will have the other pledges envious of your individual style!

LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE BOYS: A New Version of Ivy League

Most of us know the prestigious names of Ivy League schools, but did you know you could incorporate their logo into your outfits and still be stylish? Well ya can! By adding their logo (in the correct way), it gives your outfit the prestigious touch and makes it stand out from the crowd!

The Fashionisto above added a Yale University beanie to an unexpected T-shirt and skinny jean outfit. Usually, you picture someone being a bit preppy when representing an Ivy League logo, yet somehow the Fashionisto manages to pull it off. He does so by keeping the other aspects of his outfit somewhat neutral and not too loud. Doing this allows the outfit not to clash or become over-zealous, but calm and collected. As you can see, this Fashionisto went with a normal black T-shirt alongside a great pair of mustard yellow corduroy skinny-legged pants and brown Sperry Top-Siders. Another wonderful trait that was incorporated in this outfit is the corduroy pants! Why? These pants go great with the color and texture of the beanie. In other words, these pants are what mesh everything together. Don’t get me wrong—if this Fashionisto rocked this outfit with normal skinny jeans, it still would have looked good. However, it wouldn’t have been as eye-catching (which is usually what we strive for when it comes to fashion).

Hint: When choosing your Ivy League accessory, be sure to choose colors and textures that will complement the majority of your clothing that you already have in your closet. This will ensure that you will be able to wear this accessory with anything and will alleviate the stress of having to buy a whole entire outfit around one accessory. So, remember to have fun and don’t be afraid to exude prestige!

LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE BOYS: Saved By The Bell

Now that it is officially summertime I have seen more and more ‘80s inspired outfits. The bright neon colors, the shorter lengthened shorts and last but not least, the TEVA sandals. I personally love this bright colored look for the summer because it requires less clothing and more colors! This look is also very diverse, which means there are not rigid rules when it comes to accomplishing this ’80s summer look.

This Fashionisto accomplishes the “Zach Morris” inspired look by wearing a neon pink T-shirt with a great pair of striped seersucker pants and a pair of blue TEVA sandals to top it all off. The seersucker pants are a smart choice because they are very cool and breezy, which is a must-have for this summers heat! Another wonderful aspect that this Fashionisto added to his outfit was his choice of shoes: TEVA sandals. Why? For starters, these shoes are 100 percent retro. Secondly, they are perfect for summer because they are made for the outdoors. The Fashionisto’s T-shirt is very funky and bright which really provides this outfit with the ’80s coloring that is needed to complete this look. With all of these excellent retro ready-for-summer pieces, this Fashionisto is ready for some fun in the sun!

Hint: For exta guidlines on how to accomplish this retro look, take a sneak peek at some old ’80s movies or television shows, jot down some of the styles that catch your eye and try to find them in trendy stores. I know Forever 21 and Urban Outfitters have an immense amount of ’80s retro clothing that is calling your name!

LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE BOYS: I Want Candy

Do you like the sophisticated work attire look but want to add a little pizazz to your everyday outfits this summer? If so, you can accomplish this by keeping the same style of clothing but by adding funky and exciting colors. These bright and exciting colors help to make these outfits quirky and fun and not so serious. I find this funny considering the sophisticated style usually has a serious connotation!

This Fashionisto candy coated his summer wardrobe by wearing a bright sky blue polo T-shirt paired with some coral colored slacks and a great pair of brown leather Dockers slip-ons. If he didn’t decide to rev up his sophisticated styled outfit I may have never even noticed him in the crowd. This Fashionisto bumped it up a notch by contrasting two vibrant colors, which makes this outfit really unique! Even though these colors may have you jumping out of your comfort zone, don’t be scared of them; it can be an amazing addition to your old style. This Fashionisto did, however, decide to take it to the next level by adding not one but two funky colors to his outfit. If you are also comfortable doing this, by all means, do it!

Hint: When choosing colors to pick for your candy coated summer wardrobe, go to the source and look at some colorful candies! See what colors you like and incorporate it into your clothing. Bon Appétit! 

 

LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE BOYS: Sk8er Boi

Making a fashion statement doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to wear something fresh out of a magazine; it just means that your style stands out from the crowd. In this case the grunge skater boy style stood out when I was walking through a crowd of people. Grunge was once seen in the ’90s but has made its way back into the hearts of today’s Fashionistos/as. Since walking around campus I have seen more and more of this skater boy grunge look coming to the surface, I finally decided to acknowledge its popularity.

This Fashionisto is wearing a normal white T-shirt that is baggy in a good way and appropriately paired them with a nice pair of baggy shorts. The bagginess helps to promote the grungy vibe for this Fashionisto’s outfit. Even though this outfit isn’t sleek or necessarily trendy, it encompasses a culture of its own that has been around for the past decade.

The backwards hat, loose shirt and loose shorts bend the rules and give the illusion that this Fashionisto doesn’t really pay attention to the trends or fashion style guides. Little does he know, he exhibits a style all its own: Grunge. This Fashionisto encompassed the grunge look with little details. He wears clothes that weren’t too loose but loose enough for them to look very careless and casual and he wore a very rugged pair of vans; notice that when it comes to grunge, the more imperfection in your shoe choice, the better. Overall, this Fashionisto’s outfit is all about bending the rules, having fun and not caring!

Hint: To “grungify” your wardrobe, make sure to roughen your clothes up a little. A quick tip is to take any article of clothing and rub it against a rough surface (sand paper or concrete), which will give it more of the distressed vibe.